It could happen if Wilson plays well Friday night at Kansas City. Many scouts wrote off Wilson as being too short to be an NFL starter after he measured 5-10 5/8 without shoes at the Scouting Combine. However, Wilson has been superb during preseason, completing 22 of 33 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Coaches have raved about Wilson’s leadership, and his ability to grasp the offense quickly.

On Friday, we will find out if Wilson looks as good playing with the Seahawks’ starters—and against the Chiefs’ starters—as he has looked against backups. When the Seahawks signed Matt Flynn as a free agent during the offseason, many assumed he would be given the starting job. Now, the buzz around the league is that coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have fallen in love with Wilson, a third-round pick from Wisconsin. Wilson is scheduled to play at least the first half Friday while Flynn will see action in the second half.

“I talked to John Schneider after the draft, and he said the draft wasn’t going to be a success if they didn’t get Bruce Irvin and Russell Wilson,’’ CBS analysis Rich Gannon said. “He said he would’ve been sick to their stomach if they didn’t get Wilson. That’s how high they were on him.

“I think they’re really high on Matt Flynn, but I like the fact they made it competitive.”

So competitive that Wilson has a legitimate chance to be the next NFL rookie quarterback to start.

3. Who will get the best of the Andrew Luck-Robert Griffin III duel?

The top two picks in the draft will be on the field Saturday afternoon, when the Washington Redskins play host the Indianapolis Colts. The Redskins made the biggest trade of the offseason, moving up to No. 2 to get Griffin. No matter what happens Saturday, many believe both Luck and Griffin are going to be special.

“We loved both guys,’’ Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “After all that hype, you’ve got to get it done on the football field. I had a chance to spend time around him (Luck) and Robert, and I felt great (that) no matter what direction Indianapolis decided to go in the draft, we’d be in good shape.’’

4. Will Blaine Gabbert continue to look like he’s more ready for prime time?

Gabbert struggled as a rookie quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he has looked much improved this preseason. On Thursday night, Gabbert and crew will visit the Baltimore Ravens and will face one of the league’s best defenses. The holdout of Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew has become more contentious, making Gabbert’s development even more critical. A nice showing would only help Gabbert’s confidence heading into the season.

5. Will Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Nick Foles play a bigger role than expected?

Foles will start Friday night when the Eagles visit the Cleveland Browns. When the Eagles drafted Foles in the third round, Twitter didn’t blow up, and Foles was expected to develop slowly. Things have changed. Michael Vick injured his ribs Monday night, and though coach Andy Reid has said Vick will be ready to start the regular season, Foles is now the favorite to be the No. 2 quarterback. Considering Vick’s penchant for injury, Foles could be called upon in key situations this season, and after his two strong preseason games, Reid’s confidence in Foles has grown.

“I credit the kid,” Reid said after Monday’s game against the New England Patriots. “He was pretty cool. You got to see him take a hit and he bounced up from that. He is a smart kid on top of that—very hard worker, very diligent.”

Reid is always looking for quarterback prospects. He has found another intriguing one in Foles.

6. Can the New York Jets fix their offense?

All eyes will be on the Jets’ offense, which hasn’t scored a touchdown yet, when the team plays host to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night. Their offensive line has not blocked well. Tim Tebow has not thrown well. Mark Sanchez has thrown a pick-six. The Jets are keeping a lot of their offensive game plan under wraps until the regular season. But if they continue to look so awful, the pressure on them heading into Week 1 will only increase.

If Smith is on edge Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers visit the Denver Broncos, it would be hard to blame him. The 49ers flirted with Manning during the offseason before he signed with the Broncos. Smith had his best season in 2011 while Manning missed the entire season with a neck injury. There is actually more uncertainty surrounding Manning than Smith heading into the regular season. Who would have thought?

8. How will Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe look after his holdout?

Bowe will see his first preseason action against the Seahawks. He is not expected to see extended action, but Bowe hopes the reps will help prepare him for Week 1.

9. Can the banged-up Dallas Cowboys steer clear of another key injury?

With Jason Witten (spleen), Miles Austin (hamstring) and Dez Bryant (knee) already hurting, the Cowboys’ main goal when facing the St. Louis Rams on Sunday will be to avoid more injuries.

10. Can the replacement referees avoid controversy and obvious mistakes?

It looks more and more like the replacement referees will start the regular season. Week 3 gives them another set of games to work out the kinks, before the stakes become higher, and the patience of coaches and players becomes shorter.